Geoff Keighley kicked off gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, and here are all the major game announcements!
The creator of The Game Awards hosted the event, and he started off by addressing that the event has finally returned to an in-person affair, due to the forced hiatus the pandemic had imposed the past two years. Keighley assured fans “we have a lot of great stuff for you today,” and a lot it was.
As every gamescom Opening Night Live goes, there is an abundance of world premiere game trailers. 2022 was a doozy, loaded with never before seen footage of some very hyped games of all genres. Without further ado, the following are the exciting announcements included with trailers for the entire gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, in chronological order of course.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022 Game Premieres
Everywhere
Although the world premiere trailer didn’t reveal too much about the new title, the power to allow the player to “create their own stories,” was focused on. With an impending release date of 2023, and an included interview with Adam Whiting, the games future seems promising when we hear more about it in the near future.
Dune: Awakening
A survival MMO set in the world of Dune — not to be confused with the other Dune: Spice Wars title — was then surprisingly announced, from Funcom. A beta was also announced for players interested in the title, and the sign up page can be found on their website.
PS5 DualSense Edge Wireless Controller
Possibly to compete with the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller, Sony revealed a similar DualSense peripheral at gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, with emphasis on user customization. More info can be found here.
The Callisto Protocol
The makers of Dead Space then showed some more exciting gameplay for its upcoming title The Callisto Protocol after a brief interview with Glen Schofield. The gameplay featured smooth physics, and a telekinetic power that had the protagonist shred enemies brutally in a huge spiked steamroller.
The Lords of the Fallen
A surprising, yet fantastic-looking action title from Hexworks Studios called The Lords of the Fallen was then shown off in cinematic fashion. Another world premiere from gamescom Opening Night Live 2022.
Moving Out 2
Moving Out‘s sequel was then shown off, with all the charm of the original. It focused on couch co-op, and it will be available on all consoles and PC.
Hogwarts Legacy
A brand-new trailer for Hogwarts Legacy was then revealed, with a lot of the word Crucio being thrown around, and the ability to pre-order being given to fans, which includes a thestral mount for those that elect to assure themselves a copy.
New Tales From The Borderlands
Randy Pitchford then came out to briefly discuss the New Tales From The Borderlands from Telltale games, which had been inadvertently leaked earlier in the week.
Sonic Frontiers
A brand-new trailer was shown from the Sonic Team featuring the blue blur’s foray into open world action in Sonic Frontiers. The trailer seemed to show improved physics, considering fans had bashed them completely in the original gameplay trailer. A release date of November 8 was given for the title as well.
Under the Waves
The new title from newly owned Quantic Dreams was then revealed. Looking similar to Subnautica, the brief teaser showed intense visuals and a focus on underwater exploration.
Goat Simulator 3
The world premiere of fresh Goat Simulator 3 was shown at gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, featuring many goats, and A LOT of mischief. Goats with jetpacks, goats in gliders, and even goats being shot out of a cannon were on display, and a release date of November 17 was given, as well as the option to ‘pre-udder’ now.
Return to Monkey Island
Keeping up the animal mischief genre, Return to Monkey Island joined gamescom Opening Night Live with a new world premiere trailer that showcased the Monkey Island brand of humour and a bit of fun being cast on Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Horse armour was revealed as a pre-order bonus, and it does nothing. A release date of September 19 is when the return happens.
Moonbreaker
Ironically enough, after a title that looked like Subnautica, the creators at Unknown Worlds announced a title that looks NOTHING like it called Moonbreaker on gamescom Opening Night Live. The title is reminiscent of a video game version of Marvel’s Heroclix, and features a collaboration with Wheels of Time series finishing author, Brandon Sanderson. Early access is available on September 19.
Friends vs. Friends
A stylish and cartoony first-person shooter that has card game mechanics was revealed called Friends vs. Friends at gamescom Opening Night Live, with fast-paced gameplay shooter fanatics can look forward to.
Lies of P
A beautiful Pinocchio x Dark Souls, Carlos Collodi inspired title was surprisingly revealed, showcasing tight combat mechanics and a steampunk-flavoured ‘real boy.’ Releasing in 2023.
Stranded Alien Dawn World
An extremely brief trailer outfitted with pre-alpha gameplay footage was shown from this new farming simulator/base defence genre crossover. Early access is available this October.
Atlas Fallen
A cinematic trailer for a world premiere title was then revealed with a flourish, Atlas Fallen was shown by Focus Entertainment and has a projected release date of 2023.
Homeworld 3
A rare gameplay-only world premiere trailer was given from Blackbird Interactive on their latest game Homeworld 3. A 2023 vague release window was given for the upcoming PC title.
Honkai StarRail
The newest title from the Genshin Impact developers, Honkai StarRail was revealed as a brief storyline introduction. Interestingly enough, the Hoyoverse also showcased some of what’s to come in their newest 3.0 update for Genshin impact. Details about the latest update can be found here.
High on Life
The latest title to grace the Squanch Games lineup, featuring the stellar voice acting talents of Justin Roiland is the first-person shooter that CANNOT be played around children. Lewd language and violence ensue when this title hits Xbox Game Pass day one on console and PC on October 25.
The Expanse
Another world premiere trailer from gamescom Opening Night Live is the new telltale series game called The Expanse. Equipped with pre-alpha footage, the title still has no information on release.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space The Game
A sentence many probably thought would never exist, a video game adaptation from the 1988 horror film Killer Klowns From Outer Space is happening as a multiplayer game from the director of the Friday the 13th: The Game title, with multiplayer shenanigans and delight from fans of ‘so bad it’s good’ horror films. Releasing in 2023.
Scars Above
A new Sci-Fi title was revealed from Prime Matter is gracing consoles and PC soon, with no concrete release date.
Wyrdsong
A debut title from a debut studio, Something Wicked Games, titled Wyrdsong was announced with a very brief teaser at gamescom Opening Night Live 2022. Featuring talent from some of the more prominent RPGs released (Fallout: New Vegas, Skyrim), this may be one to look out for.
Age of Empires IV Free Expansion
New civilizations: The Malians and The Ottomans grace the Age of Empires IV in a free update that lands on October 25.
Gotham Knights
The “Batman is really dead” multiplayer game has not only announced an earlier release date of October 21, but a trailer revealing some brutal villains of Gotham was shown, including Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze.
Where Winds Meet
The world premiere reveal of Everstone Games’ Where Winds Meet then took the gamescom Opening Night Live stage by storm showcasing a beautiful Chinese Dynasty inspired world with tight martial arts based combat, featuring a variety of weapons for players to wield against adversaries.
Hideo Kojima Announces New Podcast
Hideo Kojima shared news that his new podcast program will be available on Spotify in September in English and Japanese. The first episode airs September 8th, and will include guests from the gaming industry.
Park Beyond
A brand-new trailer for the amusement park simulator game Park Beyond from Limbic Entertainment was shown, featuring gameplay that looks like an advanced Rollercoaster Tycoon. No release date has yet been given.
The Aceman x Pokémon Concept Car from Mini
A concept car was then revealed at gamescom Opening Night Live. The concept was described as a character rather than a car, with a Pokémon mode that welcomes the driver inside the car. The Aceman is advertised as FULLY electric, just like Pikachu, so it’s determined to be a perfect match. With the slogan “Play on,” the concept will be expanded upon in the future.
The Outlast Trials
After a full year has passed since any information was given about The Outlast Trials, with the last bit being given at last year’s gamescom Opening Night Live, fans have finally got a glimpse into more of its sadistic setting. Few fans can get their hands messy early with the closed beta, which can be signed up for and lands on October 28 until November 1.
Dead Island 2
Gamescom Opening Night Live ended with a bang, and yes, it still does exist. Dead Island 2 not only showed fatigued fans a trailer, but gameplay was included as well. Deep Silver announced the sequel takes place in Los Angeles, with a new zombie slaying protagonist named Jacob being prominently featured, as one of six potential protagonists. Dead Island 2 finally arrives on February 3, 2023.
